AI Weekly News Round Up : 10th January - 17th January,2018

TOKYO-Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO:6503) announced today that it has developed what is believed to be the industry’s highest performing automotive camera technology that detects various object types at distances of up to about 100 meters, which will enable drivers to receive advanced warning for enhanced driving safety in coming mirrorless cars. The solution, which is based on Mitsubishi Electric’s proprietary Maisart-brand artificial intelligence (AI) technology, is expected to help prevent accidents, especially when drivers change lanes. Mirrorless cars that replace rear view and side mirrors with camera-monitoring systems were approved for use in Europe and Japan in 2016, and the first commercial mirrorless cars are expected to be launched in Japan as early as next year.

Now a big investment from Microsoft has offered Taiwan the chance to make the most of its remaining edge in the technological know-how.
On Jan. 10 the American software powerhouse announced it had started its AI (artificial intelligence) Research and Development centre in Taiwan. Microsoft will spend $34 million to staff a hundred-person team within two years and grow that to 200 engineers within five years, the company claims. The government’s economic affairs ministry along with its National Applied Research Laboratories will work with Microsoft on “intelligent input,” “audience intent recognition” and industrial integration, it says.

The 51st International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) was held at Las VegasConvention Center in America on January 9th. CES, as the wind vane of global scientific and technological development, attracts a host of practitioners in the field of science and technology every year. Google, Baidu, Tesla and other globally well-known companies in the field of science and technology, as well as such AI subdivision technology upstarts as HYDATA exhibited new products and technologies at this Show, attracting the attention of a large number of tech enthusiasts and media.

Sony Corp. on Thursday released its new artificial-intelligence equipped Aibo robot dog in Japan, delivering it to buyers who placed preorders last year.
The electronics giant said the new Aibo -- an upgrade on its predecessor discontinued in 2006 -- sold out in all three rounds of preorders, although the company did not disclose the number of units sold.
About 30 people attended a commemorative event at Sony's corporate headquarters in Tokyo to receive their Aibos, with some bringing along older models.
A woman in her 40s with her son said she was "thrilled" to welcome the Aibo as a "new member of the family." A man in his 50s said he bought the robot dog for his wife to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.

OpenAI, the non-profit artificial intelligence research firm co-chaired by Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Y Combinator president Sam Altman, appears to be preparing for an expansion. In a recent post on Twitter, the research company announced that it is actively looking for a full-time Recruiting Coordinator who will be based in San Francisco, CA. The person that would be hired will aid OpenAI in growing the company’s team, from hiring to the onboarding process for new employees.

It’s a measure of the current frenzy surrounding self-driving cars that a year-old startup can haul in more than $100 million in its first fundraising round.
Pony.ai reported Monday that it raised $112 million to develop autonomous vehicles. The company — with offices in Fremont and Guangzhou, China — already has test cars prowling Bay Area streets and plans to begin running an autonomous fleet in Guangzhou in the next three months.